Latest news with #OntarioDisabilitySupportProgram
Hamilton Spectator
25-07-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Increased July 2025 ODSP payments are coming out soon
Anyone receiving Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) payments should see money arrive in their bank account soon. The official payment date for July is Thursday, July 31. Those receiving ODSP money will see an inflation-based increase of 2.8 per cent — effective July 1. ODSP is intended to help with living expenses, including food, and rent — as well as with health benefits such as prescription drugs, vision care and more. This is the fourth rate increase since ODSP rates were tied to inflation in September 2022. The province says rates have increased by 20 per cent since then. If you're are a single person, your payment could be up to $1,408 for basic needs and shelter — but the exact amount you could receive will vary by situation. That amount is up from the $1,368 a month a single person could've received in June for basic needs and shelter. To be eligible for ODSP, you must meet the definition of disability under the Ontario Disability Support Program Act. The province has set out specific eligibility criteria on its website. You can apply for Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program through an application. A caseworker from an ODSP office will review your application and will call you within 15 business days to schedule an appointment, the province says. If you are applying for ODSP, or are receiving income support through the program, your ODSP caseworker may ask you to submit one or more of the forms found on the Central Forms Repository , such as the Application for Employment Supports, Business Income and Expenses Report, Rights and Responsibilities Ontario Disability Support Program and more. For more information about ODSP see the full program description and eligibility requirements online. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CTV News
04-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Waterloo Region looks to make dent in affordable housing crisis with new development
Rental prices for apartments in the tri-cities are among the highest across the country, according to recent data from Statistics Canada. But one of Waterloo Region's newest affordable housing project, at 420 Kingscourt Drive in Waterloo, aims to help those being priced out of the private market. The site is currently a construction zone, but work is expected to wrap up by the fall. For some, it can't come fast enough. 'Our affordable housing waitlist is currently over 10,000 applications,' said Ryan Pettipiere, director of housing services for the region. The project will be owned and operated by the Region of Waterloo and offer 73 units made up of one, two and three-bedroom units. 'A third of the units are dedicated to the lowest income earners in our community – those on social assistance, either Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program,' explained Pettipiere. 'Another third of those units is being offered to those on a fixed income.' The trouble is that two-thirds of the units are already accounted for because of that lengthy wait list. The remaining one-third, about 24 units, are still up for grabs for people being priced out of the private market. 'Those median market units, the applications are available right now. They can be found online at the Waterloo Region Engage page,' Pettipiere said. The region deems a situation 'unaffordable' if a resident is paying more than 30 per cent of their before-tax income on housing costs. But at a glance, housing advocates argue the units aren't all that affordable. The monthly rent for each unit by bedroom type is as follows: One-bedroom: $1,467 Two-bedroom: $1,627 Three-bedroom: $1,786 The monthly flat utility fee for each unit, by bedroom type, is: One-bedroom: $96 Two-bedroom: $159 Three-bedroom: $241 Jacquie Wells, chair of ACORN's Waterloo Region chapter, advocates for people in need of affordable housing. 'A one-bedroom apartment for $1,400 is only probably a few hundred dollars cheaper than what you would pay on the private market at this point,' she said. While Wells appreciates the region's efforts to try and tackle the issue, she said it will take all levels of government to even begin making a dent in the problem. 'It's just a drop in the bucket, and the amount of resources and planning that has to go into creating these affordable housing projects [is huge],' said Wells, who also noted the income limits for the units was quite high. To be eligible, applicants must have an income less than the required household income limit for the unit size: Maximum annual household net income limit (after tax) for a one-bedroom: $88,020 Maximum annual household net income limit (after tax) for a two-bedroom: $97,590 Maximum annual household net income limit (after tax) for a three-bedroom: $107,160 Pettipiere also agreed that multiple levels of government need to play a hand in addressing affordable housing. There are a handful of other regional projects in the pipeline, but he admitted they are just one tool in the toolkit. 'In no way will that meet the overall demand for affordable housing,' Pettipiere said. 'But it is a significant contribution and a significant expense in undertaking, and supported by the region and the federal government, to make these homes affordable and affordable for everyone.'
Hamilton Spectator
25-06-2025
- Climate
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Are we still doing this?' Sweltering tenants ask what happened to Hamilton's maximum heat bylaw
Kayla Leet spent one of the hottest days of the year so far taping foil to her windows to reflect heat away from her already 'baking' east-end apartment. The 38-year-old is lucky enough to have a portable air conditioner in her bedroom — a gift from family — but the rest of her one-bedroom unit reached 30 C Monday by the time she broke out the makeshift aluminum sun block. 'I feel like an ant under the magnifying glass when it gets scary hot like this,' she said, noting the old windows in her three-storey walk-up don't do much to repel either extreme heat or cold. Leet depends on Ontario Disability Support Program payments, and trying to add more air conditioning or better insulation to her aging rental is beyond her budget. 'I remember seeing other people put (foil) up and thinking, oh, that is so ugly. But you know what? I don't care if it's ugly,' said the ACORN tenant advocate. 'I don't have any other affordable options to try to stay cool … A lot of people don't.' Two years ago, Leet thought help was on the horizon courtesy of a well-publicized vote by city council to pursue an 'adequate temperature' bylaw for rental apartments. The envisioned regulation would require landlords to keep indoor temperatures at 26 C or lower in summer, similar to existing rules around maintaining safe, warm temperatures in winter. Tenant advocates cheered the much-publicized bylaw proposal in 2023 as a potential first in Canada. But two hot summers later — and a third heating up awfully quickly — Leet is wondering whether that premature celebration was just a fever dream. 'It was so exciting when (the vote) happened,' she said. 'Now I'm disappointed because it seems like nothing has moved forward. It's like, are we still doing this?' The city said via email it is still 'reviewing options' related to a potential bylaw. A spokesperson said there was no one available for an interview to answer Spectator questions about the status or timeline for that work. But last September, a report showed up on a planning meeting agenda suggesting the city regulate instead to ensure functionality of existing apartment air conditioners, rather than maximum temperatures in all rental buildings. That report was deferred to a future meeting without any debate. But in it, staff warned trying to regulate and enforce an adequate temperature bylaw in all rental buildings citywide 'would present significant operational and practical challenges.' The reported listed potential 'unintended consequences' like more noise complaints, 'challenges to electrical grids' and 'significant financial investment' for building owners to either install central air or individual unit air conditioners. The report also predicted such a bylaw would 'likely result in costs being downloaded to the tenant.' That deferred report did not 'line up' with council's direction, said Ward 2 Coun. Cameron Kroetsch, who put forward the original 2023 motion calling for the development of an 'implementation' plan for an adequate temperature bylaw — ideally, as quickly as possible. 'The direction from council stands,' he said in an interview Tuesday. The councillor said he '100 per cent' expects staff to come back to council with a report on how to make the bylaw a reality — and that he's asked for a status update meeting in the coming weeks. Kroetsch said he was 'not entirely sure' what accounts for the long delay in bylaw planning, but he noted the city lost both a planning general manager and bylaw director in the last year and a half. In 2023, Hamilton was considered a 'leader' in Canada on potential maximum heat regulation, noted Jacqueline Wilson, a lawyer with the Canadian Environmental Law Association. Now, the city appears to have been leapfrogged by the City of Toronto, which has a fall deadline to report back on the prospects for similar regulations. The association joined Environment Hamilton and ACORN in appealing to Hamilton council during its January budget deliberations to forge ahead with a bylaw that can 'save lives.' 'We would urge Hamilton to move forward with it,' Wilson said in an interview, noting studies suggest extreme heat is often most deadly to vulnerable residents indoors. Potentially deadly temperatures like those afflicting southern Ontario this week only reinforce the importance of 'getting basic protections in place to protect peoples' health,' she said. Climate change studies also predict Hamilton could see up to 63 'very hot' days above 30 C annually as early as 2051, compared to a historical average closer to 18 per year. In the meantime, Wilson emphasized the city can help with 'stopgap' measures like offering air conditioner subsidies — which Hamilton currently does via a program that provided a $350 benefit to 140 households in 2024. (To learn more about how to apply, visit or call 905-546-2590 .) The city is also co-ordinating with local agencies to hand out cooling kits and bus tickets as part of its expanding heat response strategy , said Kroetsch, and council recently voted to fast-track the addition of new 'misting stations' at Pat Quinn Parkdale Arena as well as the Bennetto and Bernie Morelli recreation centres. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ontario won't claw back federal disability benefit
Amid growing concern from Ontarians with disabilities and their advocates, the province has announced it will not claw back the incoming Canada Disability Benefit (CDB). The CDB was passed in 2023, and the government committed $6.1 billion to it in the 2024 federal budget. Beginning in July, eligible recipients can receive up to $2,400 per year, or a maximum of $200 per month. In a news release on Tuesday, the province announced it will be exempting the federal benefit as income. That means recipients won't have money deducted from their provincial social assistance payments or entitlements such as the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). Since the CDB's passage, advocates have feared the provinces and territories may claw back the benefit. As of this March, at least seven have promised not to do that, but Alberta has announced it will claw back the benefit under certain circumstances. "It was a huge concern that this was not going to make it to the people who deserve to see this benefit," said Ron Anicich, co-chair of the ODSP Action Coalition. Rabia Khedr, national director of advocacy group Disability Without Poverty (DWP), said the news from Alberta stoked fear and disappointment within the disability community. But Khedr said the Ontario government has previously taken "steps in the right direction," including its decision to increase the ODSP exemption from $200 to $1,000, giving her hope that the province would do the right thing. "I always felt strongly that, because they had committed to an earnings exemption, that there is no way they could justify clawing back a $200 federal benefit," she said. "So I'm glad that they have confirmed that today." Advocates say they still have other concerns about the benefit program, however. In order to be eligible for the CDB, recipients must be approved for the disability tax credit, and for that they must receive certification from a medical practitioner. "What we're seeing now is people scrambling to sign up for the disability tax credit," said Anicich. "Which is fine when people have family doctors, but there are two million people in this province that do not have family doctors who are just unable to access this benefit." To Khedr, the answer is to "simply cut red tape." "The folks that are in the provincial system who have already filled out medical forms and have already attested to their disability shouldn't have to complete that kind of scrutinizing process again," she said. Instead, many disability advocates have been calling for the federal government to make recipients of provincial programs such as ODSP automatically eligible for the CDB. In an email to CBC on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Ontario's Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services said it's also calling on the federal government to change the Income Tax Act to align those eligibility requirements. "We believe people who already access the Ontario Disability Support Program and meet the other eligibility criteria should automatically qualify for the CDB, rather than be required to pay $200 under the program as it is presented," the spokesperson wrote. Despite the good news on clawbacks, Khedr and Anicich still regard the CDB's maximum monthly payment of $200 as inadequate and are calling for an increase. "Ontarians with disabilities on ODSP and who qualify for the candidate disability benefits still will be well below the poverty line," Khedr noted. "And living with a disability costs at least 30 per cent above the poverty line." Khedr said recipients desperately need the financial help and will use it to improve their lives. "It means that maybe they can buy healthier food or supplements, maybe they can buy over-the-counter painkillers to manage their day so that they can even consider searching for work and improving their quality of life," she said. "It is money that will be spent on necessities of daily living." Khedr and Anicich are also calling for better collaboration among people with disabilities and their advocates, and demanded a say when decisions affecting their lives are made. "There's nothing like lived experience — 'nothing about us without us,'" Khedr said. "If they have us at the table, we will make it so easy for them to get policy right."
CBC
09-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
For these northern Ontario voters the rising cost of living is a top election issue
Social Sharing Mary Ann Beaulieu says the cost of living will be one of her top issues when she casts her vote in the northern Ontario riding of Sudbury in the federal election on April 28. "I'm on ODSP [Ontario Disability Support Program] and I'm barely scraping by with groceries, rent and everything else," she said. Beaulieu said it would make a big difference for her life if Canada's next government can either lower the cost of groceries or ensure people in her situation have more money left over after they pay for essentials every month. Dwight Ledzwa, also of Sudbury, said it's been difficult living on a fixed income with rising inflation since the COVID-19 pandemic. "Everything's going up," he said. "My pension's staying the same, not enough money. Bills. Thank God my house is paid for." Ledzwa said he plans to vote for the the New Democrats because his family has a long history of supporting that party. Yogi Johansen said he has trouble understanding why prices for essentials such as groceries and housing have increased so much since he first started working in Sudbury in the early 1990s. He said that back then it was possible for many families to get by on a single income, but now two incomes are needed to cover the basics and often don't even do that. "I don't understand, in a country where we've got everything, all the resources… the whole world needs, that we're still paying exorbitant amounts of prices for everything," he said. Campaign promises McMaster University economist Colin Mang said that after Canada's relationship with the United States, the cost of living is expected to be the most important issue for voters across the country. Mang said Canada's three major parties – the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP – all have campaign promises to address high costs. The Liberals are promising to reduce the lowest income tax bracket to 14 per cent, saving the average person up to $400 per year. While the Conservatives are countering with a pledge to drop the lowest income tax bracket to 12.75 per cent, resulting in savings of up to $900 per year. The NDP has promised to raise the amount of untaxed income from $16,129 to $19,500. The party said it would also cap the prices on certain grocery items, but hasn't offered too many more specifics. "I don't think that's a very good idea because price caps just lead to shortages," Mang said. On the housing crisis, Mang said the three parties differ in their approaches, but all want to get more homes built. The Liberals would invest $25 billion to start a standalone entity responsible for financing home building. The Conservatives would eliminate some planning restrictions and cut the GST on new homes up to $1.3 million. "Part of the problem with that, though, is that the private sector is lacking funds. They need access to more investment money," Mang said. The NDP said it would set aside more federal land for housing and would invest $1 billion over five years to build more rent-controlled homes.
